Selvedge for woven fabrics



May 5, 1953 H. J. COOPER 2,637,351

SELVEDGE FOR. WOVEN FABRICS Filed Oct. 11, 1950 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 I 4 W! F e/A.

- 42 55 O '79 as 4 A F I 45 n a2 a6 24 a7 20 I Inventor .Han-i-y'Jamas Cooker B EM 53$. amkwil Attorney y 1953 H. J. COOPER 2,637,351

SELVEDGE FOR WOVEN FABRICS Filed 001;. 11, 1950 s Sheets-Sheet 2 I nuenior Henry James (dollar Attorney May 5, 1953 H. J. COOPER SELVEDGE FOR WOVEN FABRICS 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Oct. 11, 1950 Henry James Coolzer Attorney May 5, 1953 H. .1. COOPER 2,637,351

SELVEDGE FOR WOVEN FABRICS Filed Oct. 11, 1950 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 4 Inventor Henry James Cooler 4 B Attorney y 1953 H. J. COOPER 2,637,351

SELVEDGE FOR WOVEN FABRICS Filed Oct. 11. 1950 e Sheets-Sheet e 70 "in i- Q'L'Ju.

| Ill 1m Inventor Henry James Cooker Attorney Patented May 5, 1953 unw se STATES zg'e'amsi sem -EDGE iron Wov'itN Entities Henry J. crisper, Stocli1's 61t,-"- l3iii gltiiiii Application-Quaker- 11, 1950, -se i i;t .ji9;sd2 In Great Britain October-31,1949

in the'warp substantially to nil the gaps 'leftby the termination of the first named warp threads short of the edges of the warp.

The ends of the weft threads are preferahl'y trapped between threads of the warp so that the said warp threads assist'the ends of the weftthreads 'to resist displacei'nent.

points of termination of different alternate'weft threads maybe in staggered positions and the points of termination of the remaining wet t threads be correspondingly staggered.

The said selvedge is suflicientlystrong to enable the fabric to be stentered without damage, whilst having the advantage of containing no more weft than the sl'vedge-of a fabric in which many integral picks of weft are woven in the warp from a continuous length of weft. Ihe staggering of the points of termination produces a stronger selvedge.

The said selvedge alsohas the --advantage that it can be readily formed not only at the edges of the warp but at any other place or places in the width of the warp andtherefore enables two or more lengths of fabric to wovensiznultaneously in the sameiocmiiz" the warp is divided by a gap or "gains in it intc sections tor the 'purpose of producing the said two or more lengths.

"Where there are seivedges at other places than the edges, each of the said alternate weft threads is cut to form aligned weft threads each of which is shorter than the width of a section of the warp into which it is woven, and the remaini-ng weft threads are longer than the said width and turned and woven into the section of the warp at each edge of the section.

Furthermore according to the said invention a -meehanism suitable for producing the said sei-vedge, has an arm to engage and turnan end oi each alternate weft thread into the warp after the said thread-has been inserted and a subsequent change of shed of the warp has taken place, and a hook or hooks which are pushab'l'e through the warp and then withdrawalole to the extremities of the said ends and the ends of the 'Ieinaining weft threads through to one'faceofthe warp sheet.

(Cl. raw-ass) A creepingn'i'ei nher 01" member co operating w thast ncriarypart grandma hold the said remaining weftthi'ea ds from slipping 1ongi'-- mamany iiith'e wait. g

s A euamgdevieeyay he brdvidd to cut oi? the "extremities'offthe wen threads which proje'cft from a eas er the were.

Where'a s'el edge'is to be'nio'diiced "a't'each side of a "revising gap orgafis inthe warp sheet, a cutting device or devices are providedto cut the we threads at the gap or "gaps and thereby 'eweftends, an there are two of the said or arms totiirn "some of the"iids"into the warp at biith sides offthe gap oreachf'gai ahdfilrtherm'drefthere is a ht k' 6r nod-ks at each side of the gap or each gap to crew the extremities of the'iiitiir'ned iifeft ends andrion-inturned weft ugh to cineface of the warp s'he'et,and .itio'i'i there a trapping n'iiiib'er at one debt the gap e'ach to hold the re- Iig Weft threads "fib'in Slibiiing longi tiidinaliy. V y g o There 'prirein1y two or more alternatny Operated 1166155 'wliih 'ai 'S a ded eiiilft to draw tl'i xliimifisbi the int niTWft ndS and the noii intiiriied weftthre'ad erids through'to a face of the warp between different adjacent warp threads harshness as t'ofsta'g'ger the positions the weft threads v of a one of the weft threads of "theiie 1) hair or SL1; c'eedirig 'baifS.

In the "more or "diag ammatic df Finis 1 is] a plan view ofa 'p'a'rt of a anifsni fornibfiiicing foiir selvedges. V

Figure 'lA is s an View er the feminism:

aiiin echanisin.

aside levandfi "of the said nieceifli a signs eas s-side new in section taken on hrie e1" "Figure '1; v Figured is a fragmentary plan View, partly in secede, *histr'atiii'g "detail and crew-h to a larger e,

detail v 3 Figure 11 is a side view in section taken on line il--i| of Figure 10.

Figure 12 is a diagrammatic end view and Figure 13 is a diagrammatic plan view illustrating the four selvedges which are produced by the illustrated mechanism.

Referring to the drawings, in the construction shown therein, as applied to a circular loom in which the warp has a gap the warp threads, of which the threads 5, 24, 25 and 26 are indicated are radial and pass under a ring 2 at which the fell is situated, and all the weft threads are separate and somewhat longer than the width of the warp sheet, there is provided a stationary box 3 in which a spindle 4 is rotatably mounted. The spindle 4 has at its upper end an inserting arm 6 adapted to swing into the shed of the warp when the spindle 4 is rotated. The arm has a channel I which in the starting position of the arm faces outwards from the fell and in the ending position of the arm faces inwards towards the fell, with the arm fully engaged with the warp at the edge of the warp. At the end of the channel there is a leaf spring 8 to clip the one end of a weft thread between it and the arm, a pin 9 secured to the arm 6 and projecting through the spring 6 being provided to limit the degree of penetration of the said end between the spring 8 and the arm 6.

The spindle 4 has a toothed bevel wheel In in mesh with a toothed quadrant I which is mounted on a spindle l2 journalled in the box 3 and having an arm l3 provided with a stud M. The stud I4 is actuated by a cam l on a cam ring l6 rotated at the same speed as the loom shuttles each of which has a weft thread beating-up wheel ll, l8, 9 and 20 respectively. Actuation of the stud 4 results in rotation of the arm 6 180 from the starting position shown in full lines in Figure 4 into the ending position shown in dotand-dash lines. A tension spring 2| is tensioned when the arm 6 is actuated and returns the arm 6 to the starting position after the cam 5 has ceased to displace the said arm. To lay the first weft thread of a repeated series of four weft threads in the warp, its one end is received in the gap by the channel I and held by the spring 8 whilst its other end is carried through the shed of the warp by the shuttle which has the beating-up wheel I! and which travels in anti-clockwise direction circularly round the fell ring 2. After the shed has been changed behind the said shuttle, the cam l5, which also moves in anticlockwise direction flicks the arm 6 from the starting position through an angle of 180 into the shed at the edge of the warp and thereby bends the thread end into the shed so that the said end takes a loop form with the edge warp thread 5 and other warp threads extending through the loop.

Two cranked extracting levers 22 and 23 respectively are provided side by side near that edge of the warp which has the edge thread 5 and each of the levers has an upstanding hook 21 or catch at its upper end. The levers 22 and 23 are raised by cams 28 and 29 respectively so as to push the hooks or catches upwards through the warp between adjacent warp threads into cavities 30 in the fell ring 2 and then pull them back again into a position beneath the warp. The hook 21 or catch on the lever 22 engages between diiferent adjacent warp threads from those between which the hook 2? or catch on the lever 23 engages.

Before the arm 6 is operated, the lever 22 is raised by a cam 28 on the rotated cam ring IS. The lever 22 is held raised until the arm 6 has flicked the said weft thread end into the warp. whereupon the cam 23 allows the lever to fall, the fall being assisted by a tension spring 30. The hook 2! on the lever 22 has the said weft thread end held in its path by the arm 6 and therefore the hook 21 draws the said end downwards through the warp so that the extremity of the said end hangs from the underside of the fabric. To enable the arm 6 to bring the weft thread end into the path of the hook 21, the arm is provided with a notch 33, Figure 4, to accommodate the hook. The position of the arm 6 when holding the weft thread end in the path of the hook is indicated in dot-and-dash lines in Figure 4.

In the example chosen to illustrate the invention the warp sheet is shown as divided into two sections one of which commences with the warp thread 5 and ends with the warp thread 24 and the other commences with the warp thread 25 and ends with the warp thread 26, for the purpose of weaving a separate piece of fabric from each section. The weft thread is laid in the warp at the fell of the fabric by the beating-up wheel 9! so that it extends round the fell ring 2 to a point beyond the warp thread 26.

At the gap defined by the warp threads 24 and 2'5 there is a box 3|, see particularly Figures 10 and 11, in which two spindles 32 and 33 respectiVely are mounted. The spindle 33 has a toothed bevel wheel 34 in direct mesh with a quadrant 35 provided on a shaft 36 journalled in the box 3| and having an arm 3'! provided with a stud 38. The spindle 32 also has a toothed bevel wheel connected to the quadrant 35 by a toothed carrier wheel 40 journalled in the box 3|. The spindle 32 has an arm 4|. The spindle 33 has an arm 42. The arm 42 is similar to the hereinbefore described arm 6 and the arm 4| is also similar to the arm 6 with the exceptions that it projects in reverse direction when in the starting position and has two hook accommodatin gaps. The quadrant 35 is acted on by a tension spring 43 and operates to rotate the' arms always in reverse directions relative to each other.

After the wheel i1 crosses the gap 44 between the warp threads 24 and 25 and the shed has changed behind the wheel I1, hooks on extracting levers 45 and 46 respectively are raised into cavities in the fell ring 2 by the action on the levers of cams 4'! and 48 respectively provided on the cam ring l6 and the weft thread is sheared between a stationary cutting blade 49 on the fell ring 2 and a cutting blade 58 provided on a lever 5| operated by a cam 52 on the cam ring Hi. The hooks on the levers 45 and 46 are similar to the hooks 21 on the levers 22 and 23. The lever 5| is returned to its inoperative position by a. tension spring 53. Before the thread is cut, it is caught by the arms 4| and 42. The two weft thread ends produced by the said cutting are therefore held by the said arms. A cam I5 on the rotating cam ring It operates the arms by its action on the stud 38 to rotate them in reverse directions and thereby flick one end into the warp at one side of the gap 44 and the other end into the warp at the other side of the gap 44 after the v warp has been shedded. The arms 4| and 42 are then in the ending position with the hooks on the levers 45 and 46 accommodated in some of the gaps therein. The cams 47 and 48 thereupon al low the levers 45 and 46 to descend, aided by ten- 5 si'on springs 54 and 5 respectivelypsoithat '1 the said two ends are caught l by' the hooks thereon and their extremities pulledidownwardsi'throu the warp.

At the weitthread 26 there isa box 55, see particularly Figures d andiain .which are join nailed spindles 5'! and Sci-connected'togetheriby a toothed bevelrwheel- 5i? onthe spindle-'51 meshins with a toothedcarrier wheel .65 .journallecl inthe box 55 and meshing with a toothed: quadrant ti!) on the spindlefiii. .Th e spindle.58 is driven by an arm BI mounted thereonandhaving a stud E": acted. on by thev cam l 5. The quadrant is acted on by'a vtension.spring 63. The spindle 57 has an arm Mysimilar to therarmifi but having two .hooir accommodating gaps and extending and "rotating in :reverse 1 direction to that arm. That end'of the weft thread which projects beyond the warp thread'it: into the gap I is caught by the arm 64 and 'turnedby the actionof the cam'liizbacininto thezshed after the warp thread 536' and adjacent warp threads have been shedded. .Before the said: end of the weft thread isturned in ahoohsimilanto the hook 2i but provided on an extractingiever-Bt is pushed into a cavity in the fell .ring2rby1a cam iii. After the saidendhas been turned in, the cam iii allows the lever lit to fall withithe assistance of a tension spring $8. The hook: on the lever hi5 isaccommodated in one of the'gaps in the arm and falls with the lever, thereby. draw ir the extremity of the said end'downwarcls b een adjacent warp threads out of the Warp. This completes the insertion of thefirst weft thread. of a repeated series of four weitithrea'ds. The ends oi the first weft threadareturned into and woven in the warp. This weft threadzis designated $9 in Figure 12 which shows diagrammatically portions of the produced two pieces of fabric straightened out.

The structure of the two selvedges of each of the two pieces is shown in the said Figure 12. The second, third'and fourthweft threads of each series are designated it, "ll and 72 respectively.

The second weft thread is laid in the warp by the shuttle which has the beating-up wheel It, after the shed has been changed from that in which the first threadhas been laid. Beforerthe wheelarrives at the warp thread 5, a cam 13 on the rotating cam ring Iii acts on the lever22 to move the hook on the said lever-into its cavity in the fell ring 2. The hook-remainsinrthecavity until the wheel. it has passed it. A trapping lever "Hlis provided and is actuated by a cam .i'ii' after the wheel it has passed the levers QQKand M to trap the laid portion of the second weft thread against longitudinal movement. After the wheel it has passed and whilst the said thread is still trapped, the cam '73 allows the lever 22 to descend and cause its hook to draw the extremity of the said thread downwards between the same two warp threads that the extremity of the first thread was drawn, so that it hangs from the underside of the fabric. The lever M is then allowed by the cam iii to descend, aidedb'ya tension spring "it and untrap the'thread. The wheel continues to lay the second weft'thread and when it has'passed the gap the'lever 51 is operated by a cam it to cause the threadto be cut by the blades lta'nd 5%. Before the wheel it reaches the gap it, the lovers 45 and it are raised'by the cams "H and i3 respectively sotthat their hooks, which are similafto the hooks21, are in their cavities inthe fell ring 2. Before the thread is cut, a trapping lever 19 is raised by amamt- BO :to "trap the thread between: it sand the fell ring 2 "and rtherebyiprevent longitudinal displacement a of that part of the thread which is intheisecondseotion of the warp. After the thread. has :been'cut "the cams Hand 18 allow the leversifii and :45 toi'fall and theirhooks therebyizto" raw therextremities of'the endsproduced by the-routdownwards betweenthe same adjacent warp threads through which the'extremities ofthe firstcut thread were drawn, so'that they projectfrom the:l-ower-side= of-thetwo pieces of fabric. The shuttle carr-ying thewheel 18 continues to lay the second weft thread until it has passed-thewarp thread 26, when the end of the thread carried by it is'reached. Before the wheel IS-has passed the warp-thread 26, the lever tfi-is raised by a cam ti to bringitshook intothe cavityprovided in the 'fell ring 2 therefor. After the wheel vIt haspassed-the warp threadZfigthe cam Ell allows the lever-to fall and cause its hook to draw the extremity of the thread to the underside :of the warp between the same two warp threads between which-the extremity of the first thread was drawn. Ineach piece of fabric, the second .thread, namely the-weft thread '1 liesin alignment with the inwardly bent endsof the first thread, namely the weft thread iii with the points of 'junctionof the ends of thetwo threads at a predetermined distance from the edgesof the piece.

The third thread islaid in the warpiby the shuttle having the beating-up wheel 19; after the shed has beenchanged from that existing when the second thread was inserted. The third threadis cut'by actuationof the cutting-lever 5! by a cam 90 onthe rotatingcam ringlfi,-and the'iour ends thereof are bent into the two warp sections by the arms 6, 4|, 42 and Ed in a manner similarto thefirst thread. Different extracting levers .andhooks are. however provided to draw its fourextremities-to the under side of the warp or fabric. Theselevers are designated 23, 82, E3 and M. It will .be noticed that the distance of each ofvtheselevers'fromthenearest edge thread 514,15 andztrespectivly, of the warpis greater than'the distancelfrom the .said edge threads of the le'vers22, 45, A6 and t6 employed to draw the extremities of the first and second weft threadsto the underside of the warp or'fabric. Therefore when their hooks, which are similar to the hook 21, draw the extremities of the third weft thread through the warp or fabric, they draw them between 'difiererit adjacent warp threads'than'those between which the extremities of the first and second weftthreads were drawn. This is clear from Figure 12 in which the junctions of the ends of the first and second threads 69 and "it respectively are nearer the edges of the fabrics'than are'those or the third and fourth threads II and i2 respectively. In

the manipulation of the third thread, the levers 23, 22, 83 and 84 are operated at the proper times by cams '29, 85, '86 and ill respectively on the rotatingcam ring l 6.

To co'mpletethe series of four differently rnanipulated warp threads, the fourth thread is laid in the warp by' the shuttle carrying the beating-nowhere!!!) and is'trapped near the edges of the Warp sections at the proper times by the trapping levers M and t!) which are actuated by "the cams '83'and 89 respectively. The fourth thread is cut in two byoperati'on ,of the cuttingleve'r 5! by acam 9i on'the rotatin cam ring it. The four extremities of the cut fourth are drawn to the underside of the warp or fabric between the same pairs of warp threads as.

those through which the extremities of the third thread were drawn, by the extracting levers 23, 82, 83 and 84 on their fall after beinwtuated by cams 92, 93, 94 and 95 respectively provided on the rotating cam ring I6. The fourth thread, i. e. the thread 12 of Figure 12 is in alignment with the turned in ends of the third thread, i. e. the thread H, but the junctions of the thread 72 with the thread 1| are further away from the edges of the fabric than are the junctions of the thread 69 with the thread 10. This alignment of threads coupled with the inturned ends of alternate threads gives selvedges which possess no more weft threads than does the remainder of the fabric and has no thickened parts. There is therefore no overcrowding of weft threads in the selvedges. Due to the staggered junctions the selvedges are stronger than if the junctions were not staggered.

All the extremities drawn to the underside or back of the fabrics by the hooks are shaved or: close to the underside or back face of the fabric by a rotary cutter 96, Figure 3, as the fabric after it has been woven is drawn by the take up of the loom along the inner side of the fell ring 2.

Each of the extracting levers and trapping levers and the cutting lever is provided with a foot 07 through which the cams on the upper face of the cam ring l6 act on the levers. This arrangement enables the said cams to operate on the individual levers individually as required to produce the selvedges shown in Figure 12.

Where only one piece of fabric is to be produced, there is no gap 44 in the warp and the extracting, trapping and cutting devices at the said gap are omitted, as are also the box 3| and the cams operating the said levers and the arms on the said box. Where more than two pieces of fabric are to be produced and additional gap or gaps are provided in the warp and additional levers and an additional double armed box or boxes and the necessary additional operating cams are provided to cut the threads and produce selvedges at the additional gap or gaps.

Whenever the term thread is hcreinbefore and hereinafter used, it is to be understood to include yarn and any other filament.

I claim:

1. A selvedge for a woven fabric comprising an edge part of a warp, pieces of weft which are separate from one another and terminate short of the edge of the said part of the warp and are woven into the warp, and other pieces of weft which are separate from the first named pieces and from one another and have portions turned into and woven into the said part of the warp for filling the gaps left by the termination of the first named warp threads short of the edge of the said part of the warp.

2. A selvedge for a woven fabric comprising a warp, an edge part of the said warp, pieces of weft which are non-connected to one another but are woven into the warp and terminate short of the edge of the warp, at which the said edge part is situated, and pieces of weft which alternate with the first named pieces, are non-connected to each other and the first named pieces of weft and have inturned portions which fill gaps left by the termination of the first named pieces short of the said edge of the warp,

thesaid pieces of weft being trapped at their ends by elements of the warp for resisting the ends of the pieces of weft.

3. A selvedge for a woven fabric, comprising an edge part of a warp, pieces of weft which are non-connected to one another and are woven into the warp and terminate in the said edge part at a predetermined distance from that edge of the Warp which has the said edge part, other pieces of weft which are non-connected to one another and the first named pieces and are woven into the warp and alternate with the first named pieces and terminate in the said edge part at a different predetermined distance from the said edge, and still other pieces of weft which are non-connected to one another and the first and second named pieces of Weft, but are woven in the warp and interposed between the first and second named pieces and have their ends turned round the edge thread of the said edge part and woven into the said edge part and thereby filling gaps of different lengths left in the said edge part by the termination of the first and second pieces of weft differently short of the said edge of the Warp.

4. Selvedges for a woven fabric, comprising edge parts of a warp, pieces of weft which are separate from one another and terminate short of the edges of the said parts of the warp and are Woven into the warp, and other pieces of weft which are separate from the first named pieces and from one another and have portions turned into and woven into the said parts of the warp for filling the gaps left by the termination of the first named warp threads short of the edge of the said part of the warp, the first named pieces being shorter than the second named pieces.

5. A selvedge for a woven fabric having weft threads which are equal in numerical quantity at all parts of the breadth of the woven fabric, the selvedge being composed of some weft threads which extend across the centre of the fabric but do not extend to the edges thereof, in combination with other weft threads which alternate with the first named weft threads and extend across the centre of the fabric to both edges of the fabric, and ends which are the ends of the second named weft threads and are bent round the edges of the fabric into line with the first named weft threads and woven into the fabric without overlapping the first named weft threads in the longitudinal direction of the fabric for obtaining an equal count of weft threads in the centre of the fabric as in the selvedges thereof.

HENRY J. COOPER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Austria Mar. 26, 1913 Number Number 

